2012 Suncoast Parkinson Disease Symposium

Internationally Distinguished Faculty Presentations

"Early Treatment Strategies For Parkinson Disease

& Disease Modification Possibilities”

Michael S. Okun, MD

As the National Medical Director for the National Parkinson Foundation since 2006, Dr. Okun has worked with the 43 international NPF centers of excellence to help foster the best possible environments for care, research and outreach in Parkinson disease, dystonia, Tourette, and movement disorders. Dr. Okun is currently Administrative Director of the Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, part of the Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, the McKnight Brain Institute, and the University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Okun holds the Adelaide Lackner Associate Professorship in Neurology, has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, is a published poet (Lessons From the Bedside, 1995), and has served as a reviewer for more than 25 major medical journals including JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine. He has been invited to speak about Parkinson disease and movement disorders all over the world.

“Changing the American Healthcare Landscape to Completely Patient Centric Care”

Cynthia Fox, PhD, CCC-SLP

Co-Founder, LSVT Global, Research Associate at the National Center for Voice and Speech in Denver, CO; Research Lecturer in the Department of Neurology at the University of Arizona at Tucson; Dr. Fox is an expert in the underlying mechanisms of speech disorders in Parkinson Disease, and the application of LSVT®LOUD to other neurologic conditions such as stroke.

Michael S. Okun, MD, received his B.A. in History from Florida State University, and his M.D. from the University of Florida where he graduated with Honors. Dr. Okun completed an internship and Neurology residency at the University of Florida. Following residency he was trained at Emory University, one of the world’s leading centers for movement disorders research. He was trained in both general movement disorders and in microelectrode recording/surgical treatments. He is currently Administrative Co-director of the Movement Disorders Center located within the McKnight Brain Institute and the University of Florida College of Medicine. The center is unique in that it is comprised of 25 interdisciplinary faculty members from diverse areas of campus, all of whom are dedicated to care, outreach, education and research. Dr. Okun has been an advocate of this interdisciplinary care concept, and since his appointment as the National Medical Director for the National Parkinson Foundation in 2006, he has worked with the 43+ NPF centers to help foster the best possible environments for care, research and outreach in Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Okun has been supported by grants from the National Parkinson Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Smallwood Foundation, the Parkinson Alliance, the UF Foundation, the Michael J. Fox, and he currently runs the online international “ask the doctor forum,” on the National Parkinson Foundation website. This web-forum is free, and to date over 10,000 questions on Parkinson’s disease have been answered for patients, families and physicians worldwide. Dr. Okun has dedicated much of his career to helping in the development of care centers for people suffering with movement disorders, but has also has enjoyed a prolific research career exploring non-motor basal ganglia brain features. He has been an integral part of some of the pioneering studies exploring the cognitive, behavioral, and mood effects of brain stimulation. Dr. Okun has served on the boards of the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation and the Tourette Syndrome Association, and currently he is the Medical Advisor to Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure which is a locally grown but internationally known charity. He and his wife actively raise philanthrophy to support many medical charities including Tyler’s Hope, NPF, and the University of Florida Movement Disorders Center. Dr. Okun holds the Adelaide Lackner Associate Professorship in Neurology and has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles. He is a published poet (Lessons From the Bedside, 1995), and has served as a reviewer for more than 25 major medical journals. Among his most recent books are, Ask the Doctor About Parkinson’s Disease (Demos), Parkinson’s Disease (Manson), The Dystonia Patient (Demos), and Deep Brain Stimulation for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders (Humana). Dr. Okun directs the international movement disorders fellowship training program at UF, and he has been invited to teach in classrooms and operating rooms around the globe. He lives in Gainesville, FL with wife Leslie and his two children Jack and Gracie.